The number of Chinook salmon is better than it was last year, but fishery managers are still going to severely limit or ban commercial and recreational fishing this year because “caution is warranted.” ” The salmon industry is devastated.
The fishing industry in California is getting ready for another bad year because federal managers today announced plans to severely limit or ban salmon fishing again. This comes after canceling the whole season last year.
There are a few options being thought about by the Pacific Fishery Management Council today. They all either ban commercial and recreational salmon fishing in the ocean off of California or shorten the season and set strict catch limits. The council’s decision is expected next month; the commercial season typically begins in May and ends in October.
In 2022, fewer Chinook salmon came back from the ocean to spawn than last year. This year, however, fishery managers say the population will be so small that they need to be protected to keep fishermen from overfishing.
Fall-run Chinook salmon are a mainstay of commercial and recreational fishing and tribal food supplies. But there aren’t nearly as many salmon as there used to be because dams have cut off important habitat and droughts and water diversions have lowered flows and raised temperatures, killing a lot of salmon eggs and young fish.
The plan is a devastating blow for an industry still reeling from last year’s closure. Officials in the state say that the closure last year cost about $45 million, but the fishing industry says that number is much lower than what it really cost.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat it; it’s just disastrous,” said Scott Artis, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association. The association speaks for businesses, restaurants, environmentalists, and people who fish for fun and profit.
“The fishing industry and the many thousands of salmon families and businesses that can’t wait to get back to work may have to spend another year in the harbor instead of making food.” ”.
There may be changes to the options as the Pacific Fishery Management Council continues to look at them over the next month. Two call for significantly shortened seasons and harvest limits for both commercial and sportfishing off California this year. The third would cancel the season for the second year in a row.
Rep. Marci Yaremko, who is from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and is on the Pacific council, said today that because of bad river and ocean conditions, California stocks are expected to have well below average abundance levels in 2024. “The options that have been developed that do authorize some fishing are very precautionary. ”.
Yaremko said that new ideas for managing ocean salmon fisheries include harvest limits and other limits on the number of fish caught per trip.
Jared Davis, captain of the charter fishing boat Salty Lady, said, “Even the best option they give us there is crumbs compared to a normal salmon season.”
Still, of all the options, he said, he’d prefer complete closure. The shortened seasons don’t offer enough days to sustain his business and the potential repercussions aren’t worth it.
“I think fishing on low abundance such as we have this year is reckless and irresponsible,” he said. “It’s really playing with fire for us to take any fish out of there. ”.
If you own a commercial fishing boat at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, Sarah Bates, you should know that the decision was deeply sad. ”.
“We’re looking at numbers of fish that don’t even make it worthwhile to untie the boat,” she said. “It’s not enough fish to pay for the maintenance and preparation. ”.
Salmon fishing in Sacramento is a popular pastime for anglers looking to hook into hard-fighting fish. However strict regulations govern the salmon season dates and limits in the Sacramento area. Understanding when, where and how you can legally fish for salmon in Sacramento is crucial for a successful trip.
Overview of Salmon Seasons in Sacramento
The salmon season in Sacramento generally runs from July through December However, the exact dates vary for different river sections and species. Here’s a quick overview
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Late spring and early summer: You can fish for salmon in some parts of the Sacramento River and its tributaries, like the Feather River, as early as July. This targets the first waves of returning fall-run Chinook salmon.
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Peak fall season: The peak salmon season in Sacramento lasts from September through November. This is when the bulk of adult Chinook and a few Coho salmon enter the rivers to spawn.
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Late fall: The salmon season extends into December on some river sections targeting late-fall Chinook. All salmon fishing closes for the year in late December.
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Winter/spring: The salmon season remains closed from January through June during spawning and juvenile rearing. Limited fishing may open on hatchery steelhead in late winter.
Salmon Fishing Regulations in Sacramento
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is in charge of salmon fishing in the Sacramento area. Anglers must follow all regulations including:
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License: All fishermen 16 years or older in California must have a valid license with a salmon stamp.
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Gear: Only barbless hooks and artificial lures/flies may be used when targeting salmon.
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Limits: Bag and possession limits vary by location and time of year but are typically 2 salmon per day.
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Size limits: Minimum size limits range from 16 to 20 inches total length depending on species and river section.
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Seasons: Salmon seasons open and close on different dates for various waterways. Check regulations.
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Closures: Some areas are closed to salmon fishing including tributary mouths and spawning grounds.
Best Times to Target Salmon
While timing differs slightly for each river, here are some general guidelines for the best fishing during Sacramento’s salmon season:
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Early fall: Target salmon in early September as the first pulse enters the lower Sacramento River. Cast lures near mouths of tributaries.
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Mid-fall: Fish the Feather, American, and Yuba rivers in October when salmon are moving upstream. Drift fish with roe imitations.
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Late fall: November is prime time for bank fishing on the Sacramento River near Redding as salmon reach spawning areas.
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Peak runs: Time trips to coincide with strong late-October rains which spur salmon migration in Sacramento rivers.
Top Spots for Salmon Fishing
The Sacramento River and its tributaries offer many excellent spots to target salmon when seasons are open:
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Lower Sacramento River – Cast lures near the mouths of Deer and Mill Creeks or anchor near shore and drift fish from boats.
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American River – Launch at Discovery Park and fish downstream near Nimbus Dam or hit the bank near Watt Avenue.
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Feather River – Fish near the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet early in the run or near the Fish Barrier Dam and Boyd’s Pump later.
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Yuba River – Excellent shore fishing access near Marysville and drift fishing near Daguerre Point Dam.
Salmon Fishing Tips
When you locate concentrations of salmon, try these proven techniques to entice them to bite:
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Add scent like shrimp, tuna, or anise oil to your lures and baits. Salmon have a strong sense of smell.
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Vary your retrieves when casting lures. Try steady, jerky, stopped and started, or slowly bounced along the bottom.
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When drift fishing, vary your depth and vary weight to find the zone salmon are in. Cover the water column.
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Use fluorocarbon leaders when fishing clear water so line is less visible.
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Downsize your gear when necessary. During late fall, salmon can be easily spooked in low clear water.
With proper timing and location, you can have an amazing salmon fishing experience in Sacramento. But be sure to get your license, learn the regulations, and brush up on techniques before hitting the water. Follow the season closely and time your trips to coincide with peak salmon runs. With pristine conditions, Sacramento’s salmon fishery can offer world-class angling action.
Drought and water diversions kill salmon
Today’s decision follows the release of population numbers for Sacramento River fall-run Chinook, which make up the greatest proportion of California and Oregon ocean salmon fisheries. Their numbers are down from an average of more than 200,000 fish that returned to spawn in the mid-2000s. And those numbers are a fraction of the historical counts of between one and two million fall and spring-run salmon returning to the Central Valley every year.
Last year, fewer than 134,000 returned to the Sacramento River. That’s more than double the fish that returned in 2022, which was the third lowest count on record. It didn’t even reach the federal government’s minimum conservation goal of 122,000 fish, and it’s still less than the number that was expected to return 20%E2%80%94%20eventhoughall salmon fishing was stopped.
Now, scientists estimate that 213,606 Sacramento River fall-run salmon are swimming off the coast. It’s more than last year — more even than the upper limit of the fishery’s conservation target. But it is still the second lowest projection in a decade, according to a guidance letter from the National Marine Fisheries Service. “Caution is warranted to reduce the chances that the stock becomes overfished again.”
But the salmon industry also points to state and federal management of the Sacramento River and operations of the vast Central Valley Project, which funnels water south from Northern California’s rivers to irrigate a third of the state’s agricultural land and supply a million households.
In 2021, almost all of the endangered winter-run Chinook eggs in the Sacramento River were wiped out, cooked in dangerously hot water. The Pacific Fishery Management Council told state and federal water managers in 2022 that the conditions also could harm eggs of spring-run and fall-run Chinook salmon. Expressing their “grave concerns,” they said “a major factor” was the “high river temperatures that were under (the U.S. Bureau of) Reclamation’s control.”
Waldron said, “It’s really hard for me to believe that we export all this water and have few to no rules on farming.” “Were taking away from a resource to give to another resource. And I dont understand how we can let that happen, especially (since) the salmon are a natural resource. ”.
In January, the Newsom administration released a plan to protect and restore salmon “as climate change makes the weather hotter and drier.” ”.
A financial nightmare — some may never fish again
RJ Waldron, 48, put his sportsfishing boat, the Sundance, up for sale in January. When the salmon season closed last year, an estimated 85% of his business dried up. Few clients took him up on his offer to switch to halibut, striped bass or rockfish.
Waldron, a long-time fishing and hunting guide, bought the boat eight years ago to run a charter fishing business out of the East Bay. It was his dream come true.
“For the past year, I’ve basically been spending all of my money and savings just to stay afloat,” Waldron said. “I put everything I had into this fishing business, into the salmon. And it’s totally out of my control. I can’t resurrect it. ”.
California’s commercial fleet and recreational anglers still await federal disaster aid for last year’s losses. The federal government allocated only $20.6 million in disaster funding, and a year later, none of the salmon fishers CalMatters interviewed has received a check.
Waldron called the lack of disaster aid a “big slap in the face.”
Davis said he tried to weather the storm by arranging trips for halibut, striped bass, rockfish and lingcod. Still, he estimates that his business was down 80% from a normal year.
Seeing the season restricted this year “breaks my heart,” he said. “It’s what I love, and it’s a passion. This is something I’ve done my whole life, and I know a lot of other people in the same line of work do the same. ”.
Salmon fishers fear the closure will drive yet more boats permanently from the fleet — already down to 464 vessels in 2022 from nearly 5,000 in the early ‘80s. Recreational salmon fishing trips plummeted from nearly 99,000 in 2022 to zero last year.
Bates estimates that about half of the fleet took shore jobs. And some, she said, probably won’t return.
“Some people, I’m sure, will not go fishing again,” she said. “They got a job that will keep them busy, but their pace will change, and I’m sure we’ll lose some of our fleet.” ”.
To make ends meet last year, Bates picked up bookkeeping work. But she doesn’t know yet what she’ll do this year. Bates’ boat is called the Bounty, a cruel irony now. She did say that the boat had been through bad weather before, and that changing the name of a boat is bad luck.
Tommy “TF” Graham also will keep working on land. He became a Class A driver so he could drive a truck and get by during the closures. He is a commercial fisherman from Bodega Bay. Now, when he’s not crab fishing, Graham wakes up at 3 a. m. to drive frozen and farmed salmon and other fish from around the world into San Francisco.
Graham said, “Every day a man has to get up, put on his boots, and go to work.” Still, he said, “I used to be a provider, now I’m a consumer. It feels like shit, to tell you the truth. ”.
Early Season Sacramento River Salmon Fishing
FAQ
When can you fish for salmon in Sacramento?
Is California salmon season open?
What months are best to catch salmon?
Is salmon season open in California in 2024?
Will the 2022 Sacramento River king salmon season be the best?
Jeff Goodwin Fishing The 2022 Sacramento River King salmon fishing season is set and its forecasted to be the best we’ve seen in 10 years! Lower flows in the Sacramento River will be the result of water conservation but that just means our salmon will be concentrated in the areas we typically fish each year.
When do Chinook salmon spawn in Sacramento?
Adult Sacramento River (SR) winter-run Chinook Salmon pass under the Golden Gate Bridge from November through May, and pass into the Sacramento River from December through early August. SR winter-run Chinook Salmon spawn in the upper mainstem Sacramento River from mid-April through August.
How many salmon spawned in the Sacramento River?
Facts: There was a large adult salmon run that returned up the Sacramento River to spawn earlier this year and there are already more than 434,000 young salmon migrating downstream and many more still rearing.
Will the Sacramento River lose a ‘year class’ of salmon?
In sum, the monitoring this year is showing that there are significant numbers of salmon in the Sacramento River, even though it has been dry and hot. This reveals that the predictions for losing a whole “year class” of salmon are hyperbole and simply not accurate. Butte Creek Spring-Run Salmon